


Soldatino

by Wolfpup_4973



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Cute Kids, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Lullabies, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Nightmares, Songfic, When Did That Life Lesson Get There, blink and you miss it angst, magnus can sing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 14:42:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28530153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfpup_4973/pseuds/Wolfpup_4973
Summary: When Alec wakes up from a nightmare Magnus can only think of one thing to help: sing him a lullaby.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 5
Kudos: 62





	1. The Start of the Tradition

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarayFlair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarayFlair/gifts).



> AHHHH! My first fic. I never thought that I would actually post anything on AO3, but here we are. Please be gentle.  
> Yes I know that it is a Percy Jackson song. Shush. <3  
> https://youtu.be/5kfTM0sDa-A the song if you want to listen to it as you read

The first thing that Magnus heard when he woke up was whimpering. He blinked because, while Alec doesn’t have nightmares often, they were rare.

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered softly as he gently shook his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Darling you’re having a nightmare. You have to wake up.”

Alec shot up with a gasp. “Mags… you’re okay. It was so real. I thought I was going to lose you.” 

“Shhhh, darling it was just a nightmare. I’m alright I promise. Shhh it was just a nightmare.” Magnus was rocking his boyfriend and gently stroking his hair to help soothe him. Alec clung tight, afraid that if he loosened his grip for even a second that Magnus would disappear. “Do you want to talk about it Alexander?”

“Not really.” His voice was muffled as he spoke. Magnus could tell that whatever the nightmare was about it had struck Alec to the core.

“What can I do to help, darling? It obviously has you shaken.” Magnus was desperate to help even though he had no idea how. "How about hot chocolate? I can conjure up some from that little café in Paris."

"Yes please," Alec's voice was small and fragile, like anything above a whisper would break the tranquility of the bedroom.

With a flick of the wrist, Magnus had two cups of thick hot chocolate in his hands. When they were both done sitting up, he handed a cup to his boyfriend. As Magnus was pulling his hand away, Alec quickly grabbed it, held it close, and began to play with the rings that were on the fingers. They sat there, in a not quite tense silence, finishing their drinks. When they were done, Magnus set the cups aside on the nightstand.

“It’s too quiet,” the words came softly from Alec, “can you make it so it's not so quiet?” 

Magnus thought for a second, nodded, and started to ease Alec onto the bed. After Alec was tucked in he began to sing, “ _ Close your eyes, I know what you see _ ”

“A lullaby  _ really  _ Magnus,” Alec teased from the blanket he was tucked in under.

“Do you want something to fill the silence or not?” Magnus shot back. Alec let the silence speak for itself. “That's what I thought, darling.” As he started to sing again, Magnus played with Alec’s hair, further relaxing them both.

_ Close your eyes, I know what you see _

_ The darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep _

_ But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep _

_ And you know I will be here to tell you to breathe _

_ Tu sei il mio soldatino  _

_ La ragione per cui vivo _

_ Non ti scordar di me  _

_ Io veglierò su di te ” _

“Your Italian sounds pretty” Alec’s voice slurred as he fell back asleep. 

Magnus couldn’t resist the smile that spread on his face as he continued to sing.

_ Stumbling lost, the last choice of all that you meet _

_ It's the cost of ruling those 'neath your feet _

_ Paths you've crossed, and trust you're trying to keep _

_ You're exhausted, listening for a voice that can't speak _

_ (Ma nico, mio caro) _

_ Tu sei il mio soldatino  _

_ La ragione ho vissuto  _

_ Non ti scordar di me  _

_ Io veglierò su di te  _

Alec’s light snores were the only thing that interrupted Magnus now. The smile on his face widened when he saw that his boyfriend, too, had a smile on his face.

  
  


_ So you run, through shadows you roam _

_ Seams undone by the love you thought you could own _

_ But he's just one of many that you might call home _

_ And maybe someday, the bitter will fade from your bones _

_ Eri il mio soldatino  _

_ Ora un principe oscuro  _

_ Ma anche per te, c'è una luce _

_ Che ad un'altra vita ti conduce  _

When he was finished singing, even though Alec couldn’t hear, Magnus set his head on his boyfriend’s chest and whispered, “Goodnight Alexander. I love you.” Magnus swiftly fell asleep to the sounds of Alec’s heartbeat, his favorite lullaby.


	2. The Next Generation

Unbeknownst to those in the room, Magnus was leaning against the doorframe and smiling. He watched, entranced, as his husband talked to their kids. Or more accurately, as Alec tried to put them to bed.

“But Daddy if Rafe and I share the bed then the monsters won’t be able to jump out at us as easily.” Max said from Rafe’s bed, hugging his brother tight. “That way they’re not that scary anymore.”

“Yeah Dad, that way the monsters are cornered and then we can team up against the monsters.” Rafe added. “Unca Jace taught me that.”

“Boys, if you’re worried about the monster under your bed, please, came get Papa or I. Unca Jace’s training aside, you shouldn’t be the ones fighting monsters until you're older.”   
  


“But  _ Daaaad _ , I’m a shadowhunter that's what we do,” came the immediate reply from Rafe. 

“Rafe, you’re 8 years old you don’t even have your first rune yet,” Alec cut his son off before he could pick up steam. “And Max don’t you start, just because you have magic doesn’t give you an excuse to fight either.” Alec sighed as if they’ve been over this more than once. “Besides, what if the monster under the bed isn’t a monster at all? What if they’re just looking for a friend?” Alec pointed out to the boys. “ What if the monster just looks scary to us because we don’t know it's lonely under the bed? Did you know that people used to call Papa a monster?”

He was interrupted by a loud “WHAT?” from the boys

“Uhuh. They said that because of his warlock mark he was worthless. How would you feel Max that, just because you’re blue, you were a monster? And Rafe would you like it if people were mean to you just because of your runes? You wouldn’t like it very much would you?”

The boys looked dejected as they thought about what their father told them. They both shook their heads in shame. 

“Why don’t they just say so instead of hiding under the bed?”

“They’re used to people not being friendly so they don’t try to make friends. Sometimes the monster is just a person that is just like you and me. They have hopes, dreams, fears and nightmares just like we do.” Alec was cut off by Max’s gasp.

“You have nightmares Daddy? But you’re so so..” Max trailed off, not able to think of the right word.

Alec gave a light chuckle. “Uhuh. Even I have days where I can’t fall back asleep. Do you want to know what would help me fall back asleep?” The boys were nodding before he could even finish his sentence. “Papa would sing me a lullaby.” Though Magnus couldn’t see it, he knew from experience the smile that crossed his husband’s was shy but lit his entire face.

“Really?” The question came from both children.

“Really,” Magnus couldn’t stay quiet any longer. All three of them turned to face the voice.

“Papa!” Max and Rafe cried together upon seeing their father. Magnus chuckled at their enthusiasm. They just saw their father before bath time. 

“Now what seems to be the problem? Bedtime was an hour ago,” Magnus asked.

“There was a monster under the bed. Don’t worry Papa, Daddy already took care of it.” Rafe answered the question. “Now Max doesn't want to go to sleep ‘cause he’s afraid that the monster had a friend.”

“ You were scared too, Rafe.” came Max’s immediate response.

“Well then I guess that I need to work a little magic so they don't come back.” Both Magnus’ eyes and fingers lit up. With a flourish of his hand, there was now a faint glow coming from under the beds. “There. No more monsters coming from under the bed.” 

As the boys were settling down to fall asleep, a small voice piped up from under the covers. 

“Can you sing us the lullaby, please Daddy.” Max asked. He wouldn’t say it but he was still scared to fall asleep.

“I don’t know… are you sure that you don’t want Papa to sing it to you?” Alec replied, a little shy about singing in front of people.

“No, I want you to do it.”

Alec sighs “Okay but I don’t know how it's going to turn out. Don’t blame me if it sounds horrible”

“Yay! Thank you Daddy.”

Alec was a little shaky as he started singing

“ _ Close your eyes, I know what you see _

_ The darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep _

_ But we've survived more terrible monsters than sleep _

_ And you know I will be here to tell you to breathe _

_ Tu sei il mio soldatino  _

_ La ragione per cui vivo  _

_ Non ti scordar di me  _

_ Io veglierò su di te  _ ”


End file.
